This time, when Mu Xueshi went to the Grand Tutor Manor, he changed to riding in a carriage. The reason was that a small patch of skin on his hand had been scraped, and the Third Prince would not allow him to pull on reins with that hand.
As the carriage traveled, Mu Xueshi sat inside letting his thoughts run wild. He suddenly felt that something was not right. If those things could burn when placed together, then they should have burned long ago. After all, they had been together in the bundle for two days already, so why had they only caught fire last night?
Could it require some kind of condition?
Mu Xueshi tried hard to search through the chemistry principles he had learned in high school, but after thinking and thinking, he still could not come up with two things that could spontaneously ignite without reaching an ignition point. If someone had lit the fire, then why not just set the fire directly? Why use such a special method? Could it have been to disrupt his judgment?
Mu Xueshi felt that just as he had gained a little direction, he had been mercilessly led into a maze again.
After getting off the carriage, Mu Xueshi went straight to the kitchen of the Grand Tutor Manor. There, he saw the maid who had provided him with the ingredients, and his heart relaxed. Right now, he was truly afraid that these people would suffer some mishap like Wu Cai. If that happened, his clues would be cut off again.
“Little maid, help me prepare that pregnancy-stabilizing medicine from last time once more.”
After hearing Mu Xueshi’s words, the maid quickly put down what she was doing and went to prepare the ingredients for him.
“Be careful. Don’t leave anything out.”
“All right.”
After instructing the maid, Mu Xueshi went to Steward Wang and asked for two bottles of fragrant dew, tucking them into his robe and bringing them back with him.
“Is the medicine prepared?”
The maid frowned and thought for a while before saying, “It should be about this. This servant prepared two portions. Please take this portion first. This servant will think it over carefully again and see whether anything was left out. If something was missed, this servant will add it and send it over for you.”
“All right, all right. Thank you so much.” Mu Xueshi quickly took that dose of medicine.
After obtaining the two things, Mu Xueshi felt faintly uneasy, afraid they would start burning inside his robe. Also, none of his attempts could be carried out inside the Grand Tutor Manor. If the murderer was here, that would alert the snake in the grass.
“Eunuch Shangde, let’s go to the Judicial Affairs Manor.”
“Yes. This servant will prepare the carriage for you at once.”
Sitting in the carriage, Mu Xueshi kept looking at those few things. He did not know whether it was psychological or not, but he kept feeling as though the things in his robe were heating up, as if they were about to burst into flames at any moment. This danger was far too great. If these few things combined and made him unable to move, then he might end up burned to death inside the carriage without anyone noticing.
Thinking of this, Mu Xueshi could not help shivering.
After getting off the carriage, Mu Xueshi quickly carried that pile of things into the main hall, found a piece of cloth, spread it on the floor, and placed the things on top of it, arranging everything exactly like the scene from yesterday.
After watching it there for a while, Mu Xueshi saw no movement, so he walked out of the room and wandered around outside. After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Mu Xueshi returned to the room, only to find there was still no movement at all. Those things were still lying perfectly fine on the ground.
“What’s going on…” Mu Xueshi’s fine brows furrowed.
Eunuch Shangde had been pondering beside him for a long time, half understanding and half not understanding Mu Xueshi’s thoughts. In the end, he could not help asking, “My lord, what are you doing?”
“I think yesterday’s fire was caused by this pile of things catching flame. Help me see whether there are any two things here that will burn when they touch each other.”
Eunuch Shangde had never heard of such a situation at all, but he still crouched down half-believingly and poked through the things with his hand. Shaking his head, he said, “This servant is not sure either! These are all perfectly ordinary things…”
Mu Xueshi’s initial excitement had already been struck down by more than half. He also crouched down and opened the stopper of the fragrant dew bottle, pouring the fragrant dew inside over those ingredients.
“Judicial Affairs Minister, this is…” Eunuch Shangde truly could not understand.
Mu Xueshi muttered to himself, “Last night, after those things were placed on the table, they only caught fire after a while. I think we may still need to wait.”
After hearing this, Eunuch Shangde advised, “Then Judicial Affairs Minister should not keep crouching here. Go sit in the main hall, drink some tea, and wait slowly.”
Although Mu Xueshi wished he could see these things react right now, he also knew this sort of matter could not be rushed, so he obediently followed Eunuch Shangde to the main hall.
Mu Xueshi ate some snacks, then wandered around the courtyard for a while and finally managed to endure an entire hour. Seeing that the sun was already overhead, Mu Xueshi truly could not wait any longer and walked back toward that room.
The things were still arranged perfectly in their original place, without the slightest sign of change. Just as Mu Xueshi had thought before, these two things had been left together in his bundle all along and had never reacted in any way. Now, it was still the same.
Then what exactly had happened last night? Could his deduction be wrong?
Unwilling to accept this, Mu Xueshi returned to the Grand Tutor Manor again, found that maid, and asked her, “Are you certain the ingredients you gave me are complete? Is there anything missing?”
Hearing this, the maid quickly knelt, her face full of panic. “This servant… this servant remembers only these. The ingredients given to you last time were also these.”
Seeing this, Mu Xueshi quickly helped the maid up and said gently, “Don’t be so nervous. I’m only asking. Give me the other portion of ingredients too.”
The maid wiped her tears and handed the other bundle to Mu Xueshi.
“Let me ask you. Does Madam usually drink pregnancy-stabilizing medicine?”
The maid nodded. “Madam often drinks it.”
“Is it always this kind?”
“No. She rarely drinks this kind, because the medicinal ingredients inside are expensive and very difficult to obtain. These were all specially requested by Master from Medicine Valley. Madam was reluctant to drink them.”
“Then after Master’s accident, did Madam ever drink this medicine again?”
“This servant does not know. During the days after Master passed away, Madam’s health was always poor, and she often had to drink medicine. This servant also happened to have gone to another household at that time, so I do not know about these things.”
“What about before Master’s accident? Did Madam drink it then?”
“That, she did not. This servant remembers very clearly, because on the night Master had his accident, Master personally brewed Madam’s medicinal soup for her. At that time, these medicinal ingredients had not been delivered for long, and it was this servant’s first time seeing them, so I remember the prescription deeply.”
“How about this, little maid? Help me brew another bowl. You should know how to brew medicine, right?”
Hearing this, the maid smiled. “Judicial Affairs Minister, this servant has worked in the kitchen for many years. I can still brew medicine.”
“That’s good.” Mu Xueshi smiled.
Seeing that Mu Xueshi had been watching from the side the entire time, Eunuch Shangde quietly said to him, “Judicial Affairs Minister, we should go outside and wait. A place like the kitchen will leave you covered in the smell of smoke and oil if you stay too long.”
Mu Xueshi turned his head toward Eunuch Shangde and said sharply, “A little maid like her isn’t afraid. Am I, a mere boy, supposed to be afraid of smoke and oil?”
Eunuch Shangde replied with a troubled expression, “But His Highness…”
“Stop.” Mu Xueshi raised one hand. Seeing that it had no effect, he moved close to Eunuch Shangde and whispered, “In front of a young lady, leave me a little face.”
Eunuch Shangde moved his lips but said nothing more.
Seeing the maid smiling at him, Mu Xueshi could not help smiling back at her and said gently, “It’s all right. Focus on brewing the medicine. Don’t worry about anything else.”
After the medicine was brewed, Mu Xueshi very carefully carried it in his hands and walked toward Madam’s room.
“Mother, may I come in?”
Madam was lying on the bed with her large pregnant belly. Hearing Mu Xueshi’s voice, she quickly had a maid support her so she could sit up.
“Mother, I personally brewed pregnancy-stabilizing medicine for you. Please drink a few mouthfuls.”
When Mu Xueshi placed the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine on the table, his hands trembled uncontrollably.
Madam’s expression changed slightly. Tears suddenly filled her eyes as she murmured, “Xue’er is truly filial. Mother did not dote on you for nothing. Even after becoming such a high official, you still think of Mother.”
“Mother, what are you saying? This is what Xueshi ought to do. Please drink it while it is hot.”
Madam waved her hand and said to Mu Xueshi, “We still need to wait a little before drinking it. Recently, my morning sickness has been severe. No matter what I eat or drink, I vomit it back up. How could Mother disappoint Xue’er’s sincere intentions?”
Mu Xueshi’s heart suddenly surged, but on the surface, he still tried hard to remain calm.
“Mother, then Xue’er will chat with you for a while first. After you finish drinking it, Xue’er will leave.”
After hearing Mu Xueshi’s words, Madam’s expression did not look very happy. Instead, her smile became very forced.
“That is fine as well. Xue’er can stay and speak with Mother more. It is just that I do not know when this morning sickness will pass. Right now, even smelling medicine makes Mother feel somewhat unwell.”
After saying this, Madam truly covered her mouth with a silk handkerchief and looked at Mu Xueshi with apologetic eyes.
Whether it was because of his own state of mind or something else, Mu Xueshi simply felt that Madam’s words rang false. The medicine was placed on the table. Even if she truly had morning sickness, this was her own son’s sincere intention, so she should drink a couple of mouthfuls. If she would not drink it, then there was a problem.
Mu Xueshi chatted with Madam for a while longer. Although he felt uncomfortable all over, he still forced himself to remain in the room, waiting to see whether Madam would really drink that bowl of medicinal soup.
“Mother, this bowl of pregnancy-stabilizing medicine is no ordinary medicine. Father specially sent people to request it from Medicine Valley back then. Please drink one mouthful while it is hot. Xueshi brewed it for a long time.”
“So precious.” Madam’s face revealed an expression of surprise and emotion.
Mu Xueshi felt as if someone had struck him with a club, and his entire person went somewhat stupid. He did not understand whether Madam was so used to acting that she had become skilled at it, or whether she truly did not know where this medicine came from.
“Could it be that Mother did not know this was medicine Father specially requested for Mother?”
Madam’s expression changed. She smiled forcibly and said to Mu Xueshi, “How could Mother not remember? I was simply always reluctant to drink it. Before I could accept this token of your father’s affection, your father was gone. Thinking of how hard he worked to obtain this medicine for Mother, yet Mother never even had the chance to drink one mouthful of it before him…”
After saying this, Madam’s tears instantly broke through like a breached dam. The more she cried, the more heartbroken she became, until in the end, the maid had no choice but to help her lie down.
Mu Xueshi’s mind immediately exploded. All his nerves tightened onto one single point: Madam’s final sentence. Why had she said she had never drunk it before? Was she lying, or did she not remember? Or had she let something slip? That night, had she not drunk that medicine at all…
Or else, was that maid lying…
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